<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Accidental Date at the Haunted House by caelestislux</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26809093">Accidental Date at the Haunted House</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/caelestislux/pseuds/caelestislux'>caelestislux</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Miraculous Ladybug</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Accidental Cuddling, Autumn, Closeness from Fear, Cold Weather, Developing Relationship, Fear, Halloween, Haunted Houses, Holding Hands, M/M, Pre-Relationship, not a real one just a fundraiser thing, that kinda fall atmosphere</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 12:01:33</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,286</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26809093</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/caelestislux/pseuds/caelestislux</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Not wanting to be a third wheel with Kim and Alix's competitive nature, Nathaniel invites Marc along to the newest local fundraiser, a haunted house. However, they find out that they're both easily scared, and their habits of clinging to others when scared may develop their friendship into something more.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Alix Kubdel &amp; Lê Chiến Kim, Alix Kubdel &amp; Nathaniel Kurtzberg, Marc Anciel &amp; Nathaniel Kurtzberg, Marc Anciel/Nathaniel Kurtzberg, Max Kanté &amp; Alix Kubdel, Max Kanté &amp; Lê Chiến Kim</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>43</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>MarcNath Fics!</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Accidental Date at the Haunted House</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>It's October y'all, I'm psyched</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Fall leaves danced through the air, twirling to the ground and over the heads of the small group who were walking through the streets with a purpose. The breeze that tossed the remaining leaves on the trees also blew through the group’s hair, leaving behind a couple leaves in the clothes and hair of the slower walkers.</p><p>Without thinking, Nathaniel reached over and picked a leaf out of Marc’s hair. Then he internally cursed himself for letting himself get so close to his crush, as just lessening the distance between them made his heart race. </p><p>“T-th-thanks.” Marc stammered, his face flushing a deep red. </p><p>Up ahead, Alix picked up her speed, racing to get ahead of Kim. “You think you’re <em>so</em> <em>tough</em>, huh? Kim, I <em>know</em> you’ll be shaking with fear as soon as you step inside. You just won’t admit it.”</p><p>“Yeah, I don’t <em> think </em> so.” Kim grinning, placing a hand on Alix’s head and causing her to sputter in anger. Her height, being one of her main disadvantages in athletics, being brought up? Unforgivable. “The only way you wouldn’t be the scared one is if you’re too short to see the monsters.”</p><p>Before Alix could retort, she stopped, seeing the line outside of the tall building that they’d been making their way towards. They’d arrived at the haunted house, a Halloween attraction that was new this year as a local fundraiser. Max was helping out there, working with some of the behind-the-scenes technology like lights and sound, and he’d invited some of his friends to stop by and check it out. And of course, Alix and Kim had to turn this into a competition. And after Nathaniel insisted to Alix that he didn’t want to go if they were going to turn it into something he’d need to judge, she offered for him to bring Marc, which he agreed to.</p><p>Now that they'd arrived, both Alix and Kim’s excitement seemed to grow. Marc, on the other hand, had become even more quiet than before, wrapping his hoodie around himself as his hair was swept by the chilly wind. Was he uncomfortable? Upset? Nathaniel, still feeling guilty over his and Marc’s rough start and always ready to make his best friend more comfortable, decided to alleviate the tension.</p><p>“I scare easily.” Nathaniel confided. “Hopefully I’ll even make it past one room.”</p><p>Marc giggled, covering his mouth with one hand. His gloves looked so warm, compared to Nathaniel’s increasingly cold hands. “No way you scare easier than I do. I hate jump scares; they always freak me out.”</p><p>“Okay, so if we both get too scared, we make a run for it together?”</p><p>“Deal.” Marc nodded, still hiding his grin.</p><p>They were nearing the front of the line now. Alix and Kim were just ahead of them, now giving the teenager at the booth the tickets Max had gotten for them. And then they headed into the open front entrance of the house, Alix turning to give Nathaniel a wink before running to catch up with Kim. Within seconds, they’d disappeared into the darkness.</p><p>A minute or so later, Marc and Nathaniel mimicked them, handing over the tickets. Only a few centimeters away, Nathaniel could clearly see Marc inhale deeply, his hands forming fists in the process of psyching himself up. </p><p>“You ready?” Nathaniel asked, not daring to inch closer to Marc but not wanting to let him stand alone in his anxiety either. “If you don’t want to do this, I don’t mind leaving with you.”</p><p>Marc shook his head, his bangs falling in front of his eyes. “No, let’s do this.”</p><p>The cloudy sunlight immediately faded to a hazy darkness as they crossed the threshold of the house. Nathaniel ducked out of the way of a fake spiderweb, suspiciously glancing around the dark corners of the faux Victorian building for any hidden actors. None appeared, so he kept walking forward, hyper-aware of the fact that Marc was at his heels. </p><p>The next room was even darker, only lit up by a couple blood-red candles. Furniture was scattered across the room, everything from couches to coffins, and the floorboards creaked underneath their feet. A soft sound played in the background, a recording of some sort of deep breathing that grew steadily. If that was Max’s work, he’d sure done a great job of setting the atmosphere.</p><p>Something bumped into Nathaniel’s shoulder. He flinched, snapping his head around to look, but it was just Marc. Immediately he held up his hands apologetically. “S-sorry, I just—you know—”</p><p>Impulsive, Nathaniel reached for Marc’s hand. The writer squeaked when they made contact, but held on tightly, as if he feared he’d lose Nathaniel if he let go. And when Nathaniel squeezed his hand to provide a sense of comfort, Marc met his eye with a soft smile that looked almost inhuman in the crimson light. Nathaniel’s heart beat against his chest so much he feared it’d break free.</p><p>They walked to the next room, hand in hand, and found themselves in another room similar to the last, this time with a staircase that led to a higher floor. They navigated around the minimal furniture, Nathaniel becoming increasingly wary over not having seen any actors yet, and then to the bottom of the stairs.</p><p>“After you, Monsieur Anciel.” he joked, gesturing with his free hand.</p><p>Marc turned his head, but Nathaniel still caught a glimpse of a smile. “Why thank you, Monsieur Kurtzberg.”</p><p>They started up the stairs, Nathaniel keeping his free hand on the railing. The stairs themselves weren’t rickety or anything, a lot sturdier than the rest of the house. Some lights pulsed around them, a multicolor display of illumination. He’d very much like to paint this scene with its lighting; perhaps it could make it into the October issue of their comic?</p><p>Someone let out a blood-curdling shriek from right beneath the stairs.</p><p>Immediately, Marc dropped Nathaniel’s hand and clung onto his shoulder and neck with a grip like a vise. Nathaniel’s heart skipped a couple beats, both from finally seeing the actor with a horrific mask hiding there in the dark and from Marc’s breathing right in his ear. Rather than dwell on this, he kept up the stairs, Marc still holding tightly and the laughs of the actor fading into the distance as they got to the second floor. </p><p>Once they were securely on the ground, Marc practically shoved Nathaniel away in his panic, stepping backwards. “Sorry! I didn’t mean to grab you—god, that was so rude—”</p><p>“No! Don’t worry.” Nathaniel attempted to grin in the darkness, to show that he <em> really </em> didn’t mind, but his heart was going faster than he’d ever felt before, and his throat caught on the words. How do you go about telling your best friend that you felt safe when he was close, that you wanted to be close to him for as long as you lived? “Right, let’s go . . .”</p><p>“Yeah . . .”</p><p>They stared at each other in the darkness for a moment, Marc’s neon green eyes practically glowing in the darkness. Why were his eyes so vivid? It was like they were filled with magic. Even in his sketches of Marc where he didn’t bother with color, Nathaniel always made sure to add that beautiful shade of green to the eyes. </p><p>Then something stirred from right behind the writer. In shock, Nathaniel couldn’t form the words for a moment, then finally managed to choke out, “Marc! Behind—!”</p><p>The actor, only a couple centimeters from actually clamping a fake grotesque hand onto Marc’s shoulder, turned their attention towards Nathaniel and started approaching. Face filled with panic, Marc ran back to Nathaniel’s side, death grip reattached. </p><p>As if of one mind, the comic book duo burst into a run at the exact same time. Marc’s breathing was heavy next to Nathaniel’s face, and he repeatedly thanked the dark and dim atmosphere for disguising the blush staining his cheeks. </p><p>The boys ignored their surroundings, tearing forward through the rest of the small house. Actors leapt out of crevices and from behind furniture, wearing horrific makeup and costuming far more terrifying than any akumas had been. Several times, someone screamed or shouted from the surrounding darkness, causing Marc to pull the artist closer and inhale sharply. Nathaniel clung to Marc too, their hands clamped together, ready to hold tighter should another jump scare occur.</p><p>Finally, they burst down another staircase and towards the exit. Laughing together, the boys burst into the daylight, onto the sidewalk. The sunlight from earlier hadn’t faded a bit, judging how they’d hardly been inside for more than ten minutes, and the sharp sting of the fall breeze was almost a welcome contrast from the intentionally-musty building. </p><p>On impulse, Nathaniel turned and wrapped his arms around Marc’s small form, burying his face in Marc’s hoodie and letting his laughter fade out. And of course he was aware of the way Marc stiffened at first, then relaxed—</p><p>“Sorry I held onto you in there.” Marc murmured. “I-I knew I wasn’t good with jump scares, but I guess I really wasn’t prepared for those. You’re okay, right?”</p><p>Dazed, Nathaniel nodded against his best friend’s jacket. His heart thumped again, screaming at how <em> dare </em> he be so close to his crush, but he ignored it. “Yeah, but I really didn’t mind you being so close. It freaked me out too, so I was just glad I wasn’t by myself. I’ll have to let Max know that he sure accomplished his job.” </p><p>Marc went silent for a moment. “W--wh-what do you mean?”</p><p>“Since he was trying to scare us—”</p><p><em> “No.” </em> Marc raised his head, his cheeks still a bright shade of pinkish-red. Or maybe he was blushing again. Was he <em> embarrassed? </em>“You said you didn’t mind being so close? Sorry. I was just thinking, since it had to be kinda uncomfortable for you . . .”</p><p>Words appearing before his brain could stop them, Nathaniel told him, “No, it wasn’t uncomfortable. I actually wouldn’t mind being that close again.” And as soon as he spoke, he wanted to go back in time and slap himself in the face. There went one of his best friends. How could Marc want to be around someone who would say something like that?</p><p>“You’d . . . like to?” </p><p>And Nathaniel was about to deny everything, just about to pretend that it was all a joke when he caught sight of Marc’s face. It wasn’t filled with fury or horror. It was filled with . . . hope?</p><p>“Yeah, I . . . I really would.” </p><p>Marc took a step backwards, kicking one combat boot against the sidewalk. “Well, maybe we c-could . . . if you want to . . . be l-like that again sometime? Only if you’re sure! If not, I understand! You definitely don’t have to, honestly I don’t even know why you put up with me . . .”</p><p>“Marc.” Nathaniel spoke up, silencing the ramblings and leaving behind an expression of unease on the writer’s face. “I really like you. Do you want to try going on a date sometime? Maybe later this week?”</p><p>Marc’s eyes flicked to meet Nathaniel’s, their faces so close it took the artist’s breath away. Just like before, his eyes gleamed, shades of green that Nathaniel couldn’t even begin to describe or pick out paint shades for. His makeup was smeared ever so slightly, black eyeliner losing its shape at the corners of his eyes and pink gloss stained his skin just above his soft lips.</p><p>He nodded, hands starting to shake at his sides. “Yes. Yes! Let’s do that. Please.”</p><p>Nathaniel couldn’t keep from grinning, taking a deep breath so that he could even talk. “Are you free Thursday? I think that’s the first day we don’t need to work on our comic book or have a meeting or whatever.”</p><p>“Yeah!” Marc nodded again. “Thursday.”</p><p>Footsteps approached the two from behind before Nathaniel could reply. He glanced over, only to see Alix with her arms crossed, looking pretty proud of herself and Kim sulking next to her. Some kind of understanding struck in her eyes, realizing exactly what she was walking into. Kim, on the other hand, seemed to be too irritated that he lost whatever their competition was this time to pick up on any hidden signs. Which was fine.</p><p>“How’d you guys like it?” Alix finally asked. </p><p>Unable to make proper words form in his brain quickly enough, Nathaniel immediately responded with, “It was good. I have a date Thursday.”</p><p>Alix raised an eyebrow, looking between the two boys. Nathaniel nodded to confirm that yeah, his date was <em> exactly </em> the person she thought they were. Thankfully, she didn’t make any comments about it, with only a smirk being her indication that she’d picked up on his silent hint “Cool. Well, I beat Kim, of course. And we just finished talking to Max about the special effects, sorry we took so long. But you know . . . it <em> was </em> a good thing we let you two go on your own.”</p><p>Nathaniel rolled his eyes. “Sure, Alix.” But she was right.</p><p>And when she invited him and Marc to go back through the haunted house, he declined. He had to walk Marc home through the light breeze, waving to his teammate—his <em> partner</em>—with his heart lighter than it ever had been before. Every step he took felt like he was in trance, one where his crush actually liked him back. But he wasn’t waking up, so this had to be real, no matter how absolutely ethereal he felt. </p><p>And then he had to work on some of the art for their comic book, even though it wasn’t due until later in the week. </p><p>After all, he had a date to clear his calendar for.</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>